Leaders, advisers, alumni and "students" in the
New Leaders program addressed the Forum today about a program designed to give
educators in challenging CMS schools the tools they need to help every child
succeed.

There
was much hope and celebration in the room Tuesday. But there was a poignant
moment as well, when a retired longtime educator asked what "magic bullet" was
in the hands of the enthusiastic young
people in front of him that would allow them to succeed when educators of his generation had not managed to close
the achievement gap.

Among the answers he received was: There is no one magic
bullet. Bits of best practice have been working between teachers and students in
classrooms every day, today and 30 years ago as well. The New Leaders project is
an attempt to share all those success strategies nationwide, and perhaps even to
change the schoolhouse environment enough that these young principals and
teachers feel empowered to do what it takes to ensure that every child is
learning.

A video record of the conversation Tuesday will be posted
here as the pieces become available. In the meantime:

The website of the Charlotte outpost of the national New
Leaders program
is here.
An online fact sheet
is here. And a listing of the Charlotte outpost's advisory board membership
and list of mostly corporate funders
is here.

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The Forum welcomes all persons to its meetings
beginning at 8:30 a.m. most Tuesdays
of the year at the West Charlotte Recreation Center, 2401 Kendall Drive, Charlotte, NC
down the hill from West Charlotte High School.